Improvement in envelope-openers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.A

GLOVER S. HASTINGS, JR., OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDWARD N. PIERCE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ENVELOPE-OPENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,312, dated May 27, 1873 application led November 20, 1872. I

To all lwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLovER S. HAsTINGs, Jr., of Plainville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain Improvement in Envelope-Openers, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of a new and improved article of manufacture, to wit, a pocket-knife, having the portion immediately opposite the point of one or more of its blades grooved or cut away, so that the ordinary knife-blade, when closed, may be used as a letter opener, as hereafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are top views of the open edge of a pocket-knife, which embodies my invention; and Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views of the same on line :v :l: of Figs. l and 2.

In order to apply my invention to a onebladed knife I either form a groove, a, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) at the heel of the spring b, or out said heel entirely away, so that it will fall so far below the point cof the blade A that a straight line run from the end of the heel or bottom of the groove a to the edge of the handle near its opposite end, will cross the blade A a little back of its point, as indicatedA by the broken line y y in Fig. 4.

When the blade is open it may be used for all the usual purposes of a pocket-knife, and when closed it may be used fora letter or envelope opener, as follows', viz Enter the point o of the blade A in the lower corner of the envelope, as indicated in Fig. 4; then draw it along, taking care to have its lower edge foltween them. The edge d of the`piece B is' brought down below the point c of the blade A the same distance, as before described, for the heel of the spring b, Figs. 2 and 4, and the operation of the knife is `the same as before described.

In a similar manner I intend to apply my invention to knives having various numbers of blades. I

The convenience of having a pocket-knife which, without scarcelyany additional cost, will answer this doubleI purpose, is apparent.

I claim as my invention- A new and improved artlcle of manufacture, a pocket-knife, having the portion immediately opposite the point of oneor more` of its blades, grooved or but"` way to a distance a little below said pointvhen said ci1taway portion 'is arranged with an otherwise ordinary pocket-knife handle and its foldingblade, in the manner and for the purpose de scribed.

GLOVER S.' HASTINGS, JR.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. UsHEE, EDWARD N. PIERCE. 

